Manoj Kumar Srivastava (Retd. IAS Additional Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh), Om Katare (Founder, Yatri Theatre) and Kuldeep Singh (Principal Directorate of Education, Government of NCT Delhi) participated in the workshop held on Wednesday. In this program, talked to all these guests about the new education system and gave their views on including art in it.
Question: Manoj Kumar ji, according to the new education policy, art and language have been divided equally in our education policy. Do you think this is the old Gurukul policy and what are the changes in it. If you are associated with education and art, what do you think?
Answer: I would like to see this question on a global scale. In today’s time people in America are paying attention to science. Former President Barack Obama was also paying attention to this. The same is happening in China. In the UK also pay attention to subjects like science and technology. There was also a study on Silicon Valley, which showed that only a few subjects are studied at this time. In such a situation, we have tried to bring such an education policy in India which gives importance to science but does not neglect the artists. But Art is not mentioned in our constitution. The constitution of Brazil mentions culture and art in five pages. Saraswati holds a book in one hand and a Veena in the other. That is, art is part of education. If we reduce the importance of art firm, then education will also decrease. If we want that arts should be taken seriously in education like science and maths. When art will no longer serve as auxiliary education. Then something will happen.
Question: Om Katare ji, art is never considered as a full time career. These thoughts are also in the mind of parents and school teachers. Can art be done full time and if not, what is the reason for it?
Answer: I have come from a place in Madhya Pradesh where there was no theatre. I never thought in my life that I would run a theater group. Didn’t even think of educating the children. There have been difficulties but I am coping with things by staying in the theatre. Coming from a small town alone, I can devote myself to theatre, so anyone can. It takes passion and madness. In today’s time every second child in the country wants to join theatre, TV or cinema, so why not link it with education. It should also be given a prominent place. So that people also study in it and they also get job going ahead. We have to make such arrangements. I have taught in 10 different cities. Workshops have also been done at many places. Theater teaches discipline to man. Theater teaches how to talk in front of four people. Theater should get a new direction. So that its importance can be understood. Even today people ask that we have been doing theater for years but what do we actually do? People think it’s amateur. Until education comes in it. will not fix.
Theater is the main subject in Maharashtra and Bengal. Here the parents are proud to say that my son is learning music or acting in drama. If it can happen in two places, why can’t it happen in other states. People are trying but the watchers, the doers and the government all have to understand that this is also a mainstream work. In today’s time doctors, engineers are all acting. They have studied for four-five years and then came into theatre. How cool would it have been if he had studied theater directly. But because of parents also people do not do this.
Question: Kuldeep Singh, you are the principal of a school. It is your responsibility that a new education policy has come, in which art has to be added. What challenges are you facing for this?
Answer: This change has happened suddenly. Due to the new education policy, now there are many possibilities to choose a career. Our focus is Medicine, Engineering, Maths, Physics. But now our focus is on the value system. We are trying to start teaching children right from nursery. School takes the responsibility of holistic development of a child, which includes from nutrition to physical growth and this is the new education system. We need good dancer, footballer, singer and artist as soon as possible. Another good thing about the new education system is that it is providing an opportunity to learn the regional language, which is a good thing. Earlier, if the student studied in Hindi medium, he would not get respect. But now it is not so. The new education system gives you the freedom that if you are creative then go ahead. If you are a dance teacher and you don’t know English then it doesn’t matter. New education policy gives you confidence. Things are changing in school and this is not a challenge. The challenge is discipline, which is a matter of ground zero.
Question: Kuldeep Singh, what are the challenges faced by the new education policy for you?
Answer: First of all we have to make people aware. Do not know about the new education policy and due to this an atmosphere of fear is being created. People are thinking that if a child becomes a dancer or a singer by reading about art, how will an engineer become? And this is what they have to explain. For this we have to do workshops. We all have to do this work together.